Fusible line-tapping device



Dec. 24, 1935. c. H. WALSH 2,025,321

FUSIBLE' LINE 'TAPPING DEVICE Filed April 18, 1955 INVENTOR ATTORN EY lPatenteol Dec, 24, @935 2,ll25,32l

FUSWLE L'IN'E TAJPI EENG IDEVECE Carroll H. l Valsh, fine Bluff, Arln, assignor to lips Tool Company, 'laylorville, ill, a corporation of lllinois Application April 18, 1935, Serial No. 1?,il84

4- Claims.

This invention relates to line-tapping devices for use in connecting electrical apparatus to an overhead conductor, and has for its principal object the provision of a simple, inexpensive and effective device for. this purpose.

The present invention relates to a device shown in my prior application Serial No. 717,463, filed March 26, 1934, now Patent No. 2,004,621, dated June 11, 1935, which latter application discloses a line-tapping device in which the fuse tube is rigidly fixed to the device. It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement in which the fuse tube of the device may be manually removed for re-fusing without the necessity of removing the entire device from the conductor; also one in which the fuse tube moves to an open .circuit position in response to the parting of the fuse link therein.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of parts constituting the device, to the end that the number of parts is reduced to a minimum, and their arrangement results in a device which may be used conveniently and safely.

In the drawing: Fig. l is a side elevational view of the device in the closed circuit position; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the upper end of the device immediately following the parting of the fuse link; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper contacts of the device.

Fig. 1 illustrates the conducting clamp E5 in position on a line wire ll prior to tightening the shoe ill by means of the threaded eye bolt E5. The eye ill at the upper end of the clamp is for convenience in installing and removing the device. The upper terminal member 28 is preferably of some metal having a degree of resilience, and is rigidly secured to the clamp 16 by the set screw 2 l extending outwardly from the clamp in a substantially horizontal plane to an archedshaped portion adjacent the end of the member, the outer end of the member being bent outwardly and upwardly.

At the lower end of the clamp it is secured the insulator 3i by means of the cap screw 32, the latter extending through the lower portion of the clamp it? into cooperating threads within the insulator.

The conducting member 2i is preferably secured to the lower end of the insulator Si by cementing an upper portion of the former within an opening extending coaxially within the insulator. The load wire ll is secured to the lower end of the conducting member 27 by means of the bolt and nut A portion of the conducting member 27 extends laterally from the axis of the insulator H in substantially the same vertical plane as the upper terminal member 28, and is provided adjacent the outer end thereof with a 5 pivot 29, the latter extending outwardly a short ldistance from both sides of the conducting memer ill.

A fuse including the fuse tube of insulating material it and the fuse link 32 is pivotally is mounted at its lower end on the pivot 25} by means of the hook-shaped contact member 28, a portion of which encircles the fuse tube l3 and is secured to the latter by means of the screw 2 The member 22, of some suitable metal, is simi- 35 larly secured to the upper end of the fuse tube l3, and has a portion thereof extending inwardly to- Ward the clamp it, together with an eye 25 on the opposite side of the tube ill for manually operating the device. The upper T-shaped con- 29 tact i8 is pivoted at the lower arm of the T adjacent the end of the inwardly xtending portion of the member 22. The extremity of the other arm of the T of the contact it is arranged to engage the upper terminal member 20, and the wing bolt 25 it) is arranged to retain the upper end of the fuse link 52 within an opening extending through the stem of the T adjacent the end thereof. In a similar manner, the lower end of the fuse link l2, which extends through the fuse tube 13, is se= cured to the lower contact 28.

It will appear that the fuse tube It; is retained in the closed circuit position by means of tension on the fuse link l2, and that, upon the blowing or parting of the latter between the contacts Iii and 2B, the upper contact ill will rotate in a clockwise direction about the pivot 23 to the position shown in Fig. 2. In so doing, the portion of the upper contact l8 normally engaging the lower side of the upper terminal member 2t moves downward- 40 1y, thus releasing the fuse tube 53 and permitting it to fall under the influence of gravity to the position illustrated by the broken lines in Fig.

l, at which position the ends of the hook-shaped contact 28 engage the laterally extending stops 15 30 of the conducting member 21. The fuse tube is may then be removed for re-fusing without removing the clamp it from its position on the conductor H3.

Other embodiments of the invention may ap- :50 pear from the one specifically described herein, but it is understood that my invention is limited only by the appended claims and the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A fusible line-tapping device comprising a clamp of conducting material arranged to removably engage an electrical conductor and to be supported thereby, an upper terminal member carried by said clamp, a conducting member, means for connecting a load wire to said conducting member, an insulator secured to said clamp and said conducting member and interposed therebetween, a fuse tube latched to said upper terminal member and pivoted to said conducting member, a fuse link within said tube electricallyconnecting said clamp to said conducting member, and means mechanically controlled by the tension of said fuse link for unlatching said fuse tube.

2. A fusible line-tapping device comprising an insulator, a clamp of conducting material arranged to removably engage a line wire secured adjacent the upper end of said insulator, an upper terminal member of conducting material carried by said clamp and extending outwardly therefrom, a conducting member secured adjacent the lower end of said insulator, a fuse tube pivotally mounted on said conducting member, and means including a fuse link under tension for latching said fuse tube to said upper terminal member.

3. A fusible line-tapping device comprising a clamp of conducting material arranged to detachably engage an electrical conductor and to be supported thereby, an outwardly extending upper terminal member of conducting material carried by said clamp, an insulator attached to the lower end of said clamp and extending down- 5 wardly therefrom, a conducting member secured to the lower end of said insulator, a fuse tube of insulating material pivotally mounted on said conducting member and latched to said upper terminal member, said fuse tube being arranged 10 to swing outwardly and downwardly in response to unlatching, and means including a fuse link under tension for restraining the movement of said fuse tube.

4. A fusible line-tapping device comprising a 15 clamp of conducting material arranged to removably engage an electrical conductor and to be supported thereby, an insulator secured to a lower portion of said clamp and extending downwardly therefrom, a conducting member secured an adjacent the lower end of said insulator, a fuse tube, means including a contact member secured to said fuse tube adjacent the lower end thereof for swingably mounting said fuse tube on said conducting member, and a fuse link within said 25 tube electrically connecting said clamp to said conducting member.

CARROLL H. WALSH. 

